Cauterets June 2024

 













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Head-Spinning Choices

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 Dear friends, Trep-ticipidation about these three months abroad entailed the possibility of physical risks (injury, assault/theft), but I am over that and keeping a bit vigilant. I knew I would not feel lonely because I reach out for meeting new and old friends when I am traveling solo,  and I have companionship for some part of the next 4 days.  What surprises me now that I am here in Paris is an intimidating number of things I could do; I'm feeling a bit paralyzed about which to choose.  But I do like being spontaneous, so I'll let go of that worry right now. April 30:   RER B and Metro Line1  to my lodging place near St. Paul-St. Louis Church, in the Marais. Once unpacked, I walked to an excellent vegan bakery in the Quartier Latin beyond the Île de la Cité. Here is my view from breakfast May 1.  The painting partially seen in the mirror is by Rod Stein, my in-law family connection in Paris, and a wonderful host he is. May 1, Global Workers' D...
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Versailles!!!!

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My understanding of history is superficial at best.  It seemed to me that in French classes I'd heard that Louis XIV built Versalles out of competitiveness after he'd seen his finance minister Fouquet's Estate with a magnificent gardens, Vaux-le-Vicomte.  Perhaps the machinations of Colbert to bring about Fouquet's downfall were more a source of this inaccuracy ( https://vaux-le-vicomte.com/decouvrir/lhistoire/nicolas-fouquet/ )... My Paris family contact, well-read in French history, said the move of Louis XIV from Paris to Versailles was first a matter of security after a revolt, "La Fronde", to get out of Paris, out of the Louvre--and Louis XIV had fond childhood memories  spending time at the   Versailles   hunting Lodge (oldest part of the current palace) of his father Louis XIII. From the time Louis XIV moved there until his death in 1715, the entire place was a construction site with marble dust and scaffolding, carpenters, painters everywhere, not fini...
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I spoke French all day and my head did not explode - Part I of Monday May, 6, Luxembourg Gardens

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While in Texas, I bought an eSIM for communicating while not on Wifi, hoping that as advertised it was indeed easy to activate. (suspecting that it is easy if you are under 40 years old, which is the case no doubt.  Or if you aren't using it for the first time.)   Because I had not yet been able to actually turnit on to the available cellular networks it uses in France, I missed a Paris Greeter rendez-vous on Saturday, to the frustration both of my volunteer greeter and myself..if only.... we were waiting about two blocks apart for almost an hour to see if the other would show up.  Without confusion about   meeting spot, and if we'd used WhatsApp and I had a connetcion at the street cornerm all would have proceeded.   But great end of story, rescheduled to meet at in indisputably spot Monday, oh what a day it was. I later learned that Bernard and his wife had on Friday scouted the jardin du Luxembourg for a more successful visit.  Bernard has...
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